Have Nuclear Arms Effectively Ended Major Wars?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Nukes haven't been used since WW2, but we don't know how much luck or chance has been involved in that. So it's hard to say they stopped wars between major powers. I think there are many other factors involved anyway--the simple bombing cities capability is enough to make wars prohibitively expensive between major powers.

If everyone had them, some nutcase would use one.

Nope. A greater public awareness and a more personalised up-to-the-second news coverage of conflicts means that, as ill-informed by the news media as people may be in some situations, they are still going to hold some opinion. I seriously doubt that the overwhelming majority of people in a western democracy would stand for the use of nuclear weapons by their government and I think that almost all government leaders know this. As such their effectiveness as a deterent is really a non-issue in my book, because everyone knows that the other guy isn't going to use them anyway. As for Russia (which can hardly be considered democratic), I just can't see them risking it.

I think people would quite easily support the use of nuclear weapons under the right circumstances.

[Veho Nex]

I think people would quite easily support the use of nuclear weapons under the right circumstances.

I assume those right circumstances include all out invasion of homeland and a defeated army. Sure they'd consent when it was looking down. I figure its the idea that you might be responsible for the destruction of the human race and possibly the world that keeps most countries that have nuclear arms from using them. I doubt we'd see any major use in Nuclear arms as a first response kind of deal. M.A.D. as awesome as it is will never see the light of day until the end of a massive land war was imminent.

If it was it definitely won't be against the civilian population but against an invading force before it has landed. Like if Israel and US teamed up to stop Irans nuclear program and Iran did have nuclear weapons already then I think that the service men and women aboard the ships or flying the planes are the ones who will it will be used against not the average Joe back in Mississippi.